Press Releases - 11/16/06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 11/16/06 Contact Becky Wexler (301) 652-1558

NACCHO THANKS LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Washington (November 16, 2006)—

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)today acknowledged local public health professionals nationwide who work tirelessly to protect the health of all Americans every day. November 20 marks the nation’s second “Public Health Thank-You Day” and NACCHO joins leading U.S. public health organizations in asking Americans to give special thanks to local “public health heroes.”

NACCHO is a partner in this initiative with Research!America, the American Public Health Association, the Association of Schools of Public Health, and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.

“Local public health professionals work long and hard, often invisibly, to protect their communities,” said NACCHO President Poki Stewart Namkung, MD, MPH. “These public servants exhibit dedication and expertise as they make sure your water is safe to drink, your community is protected from the flu, and your children receive the immunizations they need.”

Local public health professionals are leaders in improving the health and well-being of their communities and act as heroes in many ways. They guard multiple fronts to defend against health threats, both the everyday and the exceptional. They offer preventive care to avoid chronic disease and help maintain health, educate communities about important health issues, and work with their communities to make policies and set standards that address existing and emerging challenges to health.

As part of the initiative, advertisements will run November 20 in selected newspapers to thank state and local “public health heroes.” Ads will appear in newspapers in California, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In select markets, the ads will appear in Spanish, developed in collaboration with the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.

NACCHO is the national organization representing the nation’s nearly 3,000 local health departments. These agencies work every day on the front lines to protect and promote the health of their communities. NACCHO develops resources and programs and promotes national policies that support effective local public health practice.